Pocxet ash tray



Feb. 19, 1957 E. B. ROYLE 2,781,761

PocKEr ASH TRAY Filed Sept. 14. 1953 IN VEN TOR. 'owz vfi Pan 6 2,781,761 POCKET ASH TRAY Edwin B. Royle, Saratoga, Calif.

Application September 14, 1953, Serial No. 380,014 2 Claims. Cl. 131-241 The present invention relates to an ash tray, and pertains more particularly to an ash tray which may be carried conveniently in the pocket, and may be used either in the pocket or resting on any suitable supporting surface.

The present invention is of the same general character as that disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 337,077, filed February 16, 1953. A further object of the invention is to provide a pocket ash tray with an improved pocket engaging clip which also serves as a safe repository for a burning cigarette. A further object of the invention is to provide a pocket ash tray with a combined clip and cigarette holder formed to cause a cigarette placed thereon to gravitate into properly aligned position therein. v

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ash tray embodying the invention as it appears when resting on a flat surface, one cigarette being shown in broken lines resting on a combined pocket clip and cigarette holder, the central axes of cigarettes in misaligned positions being indicated in broken lines and a second cigarette being shown in snufiing position in the cover.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device shown in Fig. 1 as it appears with the cap closed, a pill receptable being shown removed from the device, the broken lines indicating the assembled position of the pill holder.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device as it appears when clipped into a pocket, the cap being shown in open position'in solid lines, and in partially closed position to grip a cigarette in broken lines.

Fig. 4 is side elevational view of the device with the cap partially closed, the broken lines showing a cigarette gripped between the cap and body portion.

' Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the hinge structure employed in the device shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

7 In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a pocket ash tray A comprises a tubular body portion or receptacle,

10 of generally oblong, rectangular cross-sectional shape, and a cup-shaped cap 11 'hingedly mounted thereon. Both the receptacle 10 and cap ll preferably are fabri: cated from suitable metal, or molded fromstrong, heat resistant plastic material, many of which arewell' known to those familiar with the plastic molding art.

The receptacle 10 has one end thereof closed at 12.

Its other end 13 is open and slopes-at an acute angle 2,781,761 Patented Feb. 19, 1957 ice .. rette 17 (Figs. 3 and 4) when gripped between the cap respectively, from the material of the receptacle 10 and cap 11.

The pintle 19 of the hinge consists of a length of strand of strong, fusible material, such as the plastic known as nylon, and having a diameter to fit closely within the relatively interposed hinge segments 10a a'nd lla. The

strand 19'when inserted in the hinge segments, is of a lengthto project beyond both ends of the hinge a slight distance. These projecting portions are heated, as by passing a flameover them,ito fuse them into ball-like enlargements 20, 20 which secure the pintle against withdrawal. The formation of the ball ends 20, 20, in accordance with a well known phenomenon, is caused by; the surface tension of the strand material as the latter reaches a melted condition. This closely fitted plastic pintle produces a feeling of lubricated firmness when opening or closing the cap 11, and prevents any loose swinging action of the cap, which would be undesirable.-

"Th'e cup-shaped cap 11 is in the form of a truncated wedge, the side walls 21, 21 thereof being parallel to each. other, and the front and rear walls 22 and 23 converging toward the closed, flat, upper end 24 thereof. The openend 25 of'the cap slopes at an angle'to conform to, and to close the open end 13 of the receptacle 10. The front and rear cap walls 22 and 23 are so disposed that when. the cap 11 is closed, as shown in Fig. 2, the front wall 22 l of the cap will be substantially parallel with the front wall 27 of the receptacle 10 and will overlap it slightly as at 27a, while the rear cap wall 23 will slope forwardly from the hinge 18. The closed end 24 of the cap is disposed at an angle of slightly less than 90 to the rear 1 cap wall 23 so that when the cap is opened to the position shown in Fig. l, and the device is placed on a gen: erally horizontal supporting surface 28, a plane represented by the broken line 29 through the axis of the hinge 18 and substantially perpendicular to the plane of the supporting surface 28, represented by the broken line 30, will fall substantially centrally of the closed end 24 of the cap. Thus, any downward stress imposed on the cap hinge 18 by the weight of the receptacle 10, or even by the additional weight of ones hand not shown'rest- 'ing' thereomwill not tend to collapse the cap or to swing;

it out of its supporting position shown in Fig. 1.

' A pair of ears 32, 32 are formed on the sidewalls 21,

21 of the cap 11 at its open end 25, and these ears are offset laterally outwardly from the planes of their respective side walls so as to overlie the sides of thereceptacle 10 when the cap is in its closed position shown in Fig. 2. A pair of inwardly deformed embossrnents 33, 33 are formed in the cap ears 32, 32 to fit into corresponding receptacle 10. Therefore, when the cap 11 is partially closed to grip a cigarette 17 (Fig. 3) positioned inwardly of the ears 15 and 32, and with the lighted end of the cigarette within the confines of the receptacle 10, the

ears 15 and 32 partially surround the cigarette and me vent it from becoming displaced downwardly out ofgripped position.

For securing the device A in upright position in a garment pocket 14 (Fig. 3) a pocket engaging clip 37 Q i is mounted on what may be referred to as the outward T side of the receptacle just below the open end 13 thereof.

The clip 37 comprises an attaching portion 38 which may be secured as by silver soldering to the receptacle 10,. The metal of the clip 37 is bent reversely Iat'39- to bring the clip arm 40 alongside, and in slightly' spaced relation to the receptacle 10. The metal of the, clip' arm 40. is curved concavely outwardly to provide a trough-shaped cigarette support approximating in size and shape the exterior curvature of a cigarette for use when the device A is placed on a supporting surface 28 (Fig. l). A depression 42a is provided near the free or lower end. of the clip arm 40 which forms an .embossrnent on the inner side of the arm. for gripping thecloth of the pocket. 14.

The side edges'of the roughed clip arm; 40 are curved convexly at 45 (Fig, 4) and diverge toward the reverse bend 39 therein (Figs. 1, 2' and 3); 'This formation of the clip armdt) causes a cigarette 1701 (Fig. l), which may be. inadvertently:laid'thereon at a slight acute angle to the longitudinal center line of the clip arm 4.0 to gravitate into a position of cradled alignment therein as shown in Fig. 1.

Many people at the prcsent'ti'rne require frequent medication in the form of pills, such as, for example, cortisone. Others, in still larger number, as a substitute for sugar, carry their own saccharine. When carried in the pocket in ordinary bottles or boxes such pills rub against each other and against the interior of the container and as a result become chipped, broken and reduced in size.

A container 45 for safely holding such small fragile or friable articles is shown in Fig. '2. This container consists of a cup-shaped member 47 which is of a size to fit telescopically over the lower end of the receptacle 10' and is provided with indentations 48, 48 in opposite sides thereof to provide inwardly extended embossments 48a which are positioned to fit into correspondingly shaped indentations 49 provided therefor in the side walls of the receptacle 10 near the lower end thereof. A cushion 50 of foam rubber or other softly resilient material is fitted into the lower end of the container 47, and is of a size to substantially fill the container below the level of the bottom of the receptacle 10 when the container 47 is fitted thereon as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2. Pills 51 or other articles may be dropped onto the cushion 50,

and when the container 47 is fitted onto the lower end of the receptacle 10, the pills 51 are pressed into the body of the cushion 50 which gently presses them against the bottom of the receptacle 1t) and thus preserves them from breakage and wear.

For use of the device as a pocket ash tray, it may be clipped into a garment pocket 14 and the cap 11 swung open to the position shown in the Fig. 3. The friction of the hinge pintle 19 on the hinge segments 10a and 11a.

supports the capin adjusted position. In this position with the tip of a lighted cigarette in flicking the ashes therefrom into the device, or in dropping a lighted cigarette butt into the receptacle 10 or cap 11 to discard it.

Inthe event that a discarded cigarette butt is dropped into the cap 11, when the cap is closed with the receptacle 10 1n upright position such butt, as well as any ashes which may be in the cap, will gravitate into the reoep tacle 10.

It is not necessary to extinguish a cigarette when discarding it, since when it is dropped into the receptacle 10 it goes out almost instantly due to lack of suflicient oxygen to maintain combustion. Therefore, there is never any unpleasant acrid odor of smoulderingtobacco as in many larger more open types of ash trays.

This ar-- rangemcnt protects the clothing against accidental contact When one is smoking and it becomes desirable to free ones hands momentarily with no convenient place to lay the cigarette, the lighted end of the cigarette 17 may be placed within the confines of the open end of the receptacle 10 and the cap 11 closed sufficiently to grip the cigarette gently as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The car 32 on the cap 11,as well as the ear on the receptacle 10, when provided, support the cigarette 17 against downward or outward displacement. Should the cigarette be left in this position long enough to burn to a point closely adjacent to the gripped area thereof; the conductivity of the parts gripping the cigarette will lower the temperature of its burning tip and will extinguish it, so that there is no danger of the cigarette burning itselfi free from its gripped position with possible resultant damage.

In addition to its use in a garment pocket, the device is not only usable as an emergency table type ash tray, but also has some. actual advantages over many conventional types, of tabletop ash trays. As. shown in Fig. 1, the. device may be placed on any generally horizontal supporting surface 28 with the cap 11v opened so thatv the device will rest on the fiat closed end 24 of the cap, and

. also on the closed lower end 12 of the receptacle 10. In

this position, ashes may be deposited either in the. cap 11 or in the open end 13 of the. receptacle. In this position of the device, the troughed clip. arm 40 serves. as a convenient support fora lighted cigarette. 17a (Fig. 1,). The curvature of the edges 43, 43 of, the sides of the clip arm 40, together with their outward spreading as they approach the reverse bend 39 in the clip, cause a cigarette placed thereon in slightly misaligned condition to gravitate into aligned cradled position in the clip. This is important, since ifjthe cigarette is properly cradled in aligned position in the clip, when it burns down to a point closely adjacent to the clip, the conductivity of the clip material will cool the burning tobacco below its temperature of combustion and thus will extinguish it. If the cigarette remained in misaligned position on the clip, it might burn down to an unbalanced condition on the clip, topple or roll 0d the clip and cause burn damage to the table or other object where it came to rest.

The receptacle 10 provides a convenient depository for .a number of cigarette butts and may be easily emptied when the user goes out of doors or has access to a conventional larger ash tray or other suitable depository for its contents.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood 1 and cigarette butt receiving receptacle open at one end and closed at the other, a cup-shaped cap formed to close the open end of said receptacle, and a hinge pivotally connecting an edge of the cap' to a side of the receptacle at 'itsopen end; a pocket clip comprising an attaching "portion attached to the opposite side of said receptacle from said hinge adjacent the open end of said receptacle;

a transversely troughed clip arm secured at one end thereof to said attaching portion and extending from the attaching portion longitudinally alongside said receptacle toward its closed end, the trough curvature of the clip arm approximating in size and shape the exterior curvature of a cigarette, the bottom of the trough being straight to receive and support a lighted cigarette placed in the trough of the clip with the receptacle in reclining position with its clip side uppermost, and the cigarette is positioned with its lighted end extending, over the open end of the receptacle when the cap is opened approxirnately 90, and an embossment formed on the free end of said clip arm and extending toward the receptacle to space the clip from the receptacle and to grip a piece of pocket fabric inserted between the clip and the receptacle.

2. In a pocket ash tray comprising an elongated ash and cigarette butt receiving receptacle open at one end and closed at the other, a cup-shaped cap formed to close the open end of said receptacle, and a hinge pivotally connecting an edge of the cap to a side of the receptacle at its open end; a pocket clip comprising an attaching portion attached to the opposite side of said receptacle from said hinge adjacent the open end of said receptacle, a transversely troughed clip arm secured at one end thereof to said attaching portion and extending from the attaching portion longitudinally alongside said receptacle toward its closed end, the trough curvature of the clip arm approximating in size and shape the exterior curvature of a cigarette, the bottom of the trough being straight, and the upper edges of both side walls of the clip arm forming the trough therein being arched from a higher medial portion toward both ends thereof, whereby a lighted cigarette, laid at an acute angle to the length of the trough at the higher central portion thereof with the receptacle in reclining position With its clip side uppermost and the cigarette is positioned with its lighted end extending over the open end of the receptacle when the cap is opened approximately 90 will gravitate into the trough of the clip arm, and an embossrnent formed on the free end of said clip arm and projecting toward the receptacle to space the clip arm from the receptacle and to grip a piece of pocket fabric inserted between the clip arm and the receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

